The 2021 North American Championships for Junior Riders in dressage was not in fact a "North American Championships". Due to the lack of riders from more than one nation, the FEI downgraded this otherwise continental championship to CDIO-J status.
The 2021 North American Youth Championships took place in Traverse City, Michigan, on 10 - 15 August and hosted a North American Championships for both junior and young riders in dressage as well as eventing and show jumping.
The Clue Lies in the Medals
Official press releases from the event, appearing daily throughout last week, did not once reference to the fact that for juniors it was a CDIO-J instead if an NA-JR-CH.
The clue lay in the fact that medals given to the junior riders were national medal with the American flag colours on the ribbon, while the young riders received the official FEI medal with purple ribbon.
Roberta Williams, chair of the USDF Junior/Young Rider Committee, explained to Eurodressage that, "when Canada was unable to send teams due to Covid, the event had to be downgraded and hence no FEI medals. The USEF was quick to make medals for the Juniors so they had something in this weird year."
Absence of Canada
The FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC) for Dressage is the premier equestrian competition in North America for junior and young riders, ages 14-21, from the U.S.A., Canada, Mexico and Caribbean. Young equestrians vie for team and individual FEI medals in the two Olympic equestrian disciplines of dressage and show jumping. Eventing was dropped a few years ago.
The 2021 North American Youth Championships saw a remarkable absence of Canadian riders, who have a strong history of success in the past. Canada has won an impressive 10 medals in both 2017 and 2018 and seven in 2019 in the three Olympic disciplines at the NAYC.
Due to COVID-19, the United States modified its selection criteria, procedures and shows to adapt to the strained conditions for qualification. Canada opted not to do so and with a lack of competitions, the country only ended up selecting one team of three young riders. Unfortunately in the end, only one young rider made it to Traverse City, Anna Swackhammer on Wrazzmatazz. Brooke Mancusi's Grand Amour sadly passed away and Camille Carier Bergeron's Sound of Silence was not fit to compete.
The FEI rule says that at least two different nations need send a nominated entry. Even if one of them cannot send a team for the definite entry, it is still a continental Championships. Canada had no riders qualify by their system and had no nominative junior entries. In the Young Riders division, Swackhammer rode for Canada and Robin Stempel for Bermuda.
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